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Northwestern College Athletics

Northwestern College
HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
HONORING CHRIST THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
Nike
fb-recap2-260912
33
Mount Marty MMU 2-1 , 1-1
35
Winner Northwestern NWC 2-1 , 2-0
Mount Marty MMU
2-1 , 1-1
33
Final
35
Northwestern NWC
2-1 , 2-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MMU Mount Marty 0 14 6 13 33
NWC Northwestern 14 7 14 0 35

Game Recap: Football | | NWC Athletic Communications

Northwestern Holds Off Lancers in Home Opener

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Kylar Fritz's interception in the end zone stalled Mount Marty's drive to the end zone and put the finishing touches on a 35-33 Northwestern win.
 
The Red Raiders scored on each of their two first-quarter possessions, putting together 14-play, 76-yard and 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drives to build a 14-0 lead. On the opening series, Colby Duncan converted 4th-and-1 with a three-yard run, later hit Carson Ness for 25 yards to the Lancers' 4-yard line, and finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Austyn Gerard at 8:05 before Gianna Bennett added the kick. The Raiders' defense answered with a three-and-out, including Rizg Osman's tackle for loss on first down and a third-down incompletion that forced a punt. The offense then went 75 yards in 10 plays, with Duncan running for 12 yards on 3rd-and-10, finding Ness for 15 yards on 4th-and-3, and connecting with Gerard for a 14-yard touchdown reception at 1:39. The Lancers moved to their 33 on the final possession, but the Red Raiders finished the first quarter ahead 14-0.
 
A 21-14 halftime lead held up for the Raiders after they stopped the Lancers twice on downs in the closing minutes, with Hayden Groos breaking up a fourth-down pass at the Red Raiders' 16 and Fritz breaking up another at the 25. Earlier, after the Lancers scored to open the second quarter, the Raiders answered with a 69-yard drive that included a 19-yard completion to Caleb Moore and ended with Duncan's eight-yard scoring rush at 8:58. The Lancers later scored on a 39-yard pass, and the Red Raiders' next possession stalled after a holding penalty before Jack Sadusky pinned the visitors at their 12 with a 44-yard punt. The defense then absorbed two Red Raiders penalties that moved the Lancers across midfield but kept the visitors out of the end zone, stopping the Lancers on the final 4th down try at the half.
 
The third quarter opened with Evan Hildring forcing a fumble on the kickoff and Isaac Wenthe recovering at the Lancers' 24, setting up Duncan's 24-yard touchdown pass to Lane Maassen to double the lead to 28-14 at 14:45. After the Lancers answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive to make it 28-20, the Raiders were held to a punt, but the defense responded with a three-and-out. The Red Raiders then pushed the ball from their 12, with Duncan hitting Moore for 31 yards before an apparent touchdown was erased by a holding penalty. Duncan came back to Moore for 12 yards and later found him for a 45-yard catch-and-run at 4:45, with Bennett's kick moving the Raiders ahead 35-20. The Lancers reached the Red Raiders' 22 on the final possession of the quarter, but the Raiders remained in front 35-20.
 
Fritz halted the Lancers' last sustained threat with an interception in the end zone at 2:12, giving the Red Raiders the ball back with a 35-33 lead. Earlier, the Lancers scored twice in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders also created a turnover when Groos forced a fumble after a completion and Fritz recovered near midfield. The Red Raiders' offense had possessions reach the Lancers' 33 and later the Red Raiders' 39, with Duncan's 11-yard run helping move the chains after Fritz's interception before Sadusky punted with 15 seconds left. The defense finished the game by forcing three straight incompletions on the Lancers' final drive, including pressure from Jaxson Hildebrand, as the Raiders closed out a 35-33 win.
 
Game Notes:
  • Colby Duncan threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 78 yards and a score.
  • Duncan has totaled five touchdowns in back-to-back weeks.
  • Kylar Fritz notched six tackles with two pass breakups, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
  • Owen Lalumendre led the Raider defense with eight stops.
  • Hayden Groos had seven tackles, forced a fumble, and broke up two passes.
  • Caleb Moore caught seven passes for 154 yards and a touchdown.
  • Carson Ness hauled in four receptions for 62 yards.
  • Gianna Bennett went a perfect 5-for-5 on PATs.
  • Northwestern went 2-for-4 on fourth downs and was 3-for-3 in the red zone.
 
Up Next: Northwestern will be back under the lights of De Valois Stadium, hosting Midland at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 19.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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